DeWitt will partner with ICx Nomadics, an international sensor development company, on the project. Dr. Stephen McKeever, OSU's vice president for research and technology transfer, is also a co-investigator on the project.
"A detailed chronology of past events is critical to answering questions related to the exploration strategy of Mars," DeWitt says. "These include the processes and history of the Martian climate and atmosphere, the role of water on the surface of Mars, and the planet's habitability for human exploration. The ODIN presents the planetary science community with a powerful tool that will further our understanding of the climatic and meteorological conditions that have existed in the past."
The proposed instrument is based on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), a geological dating technique which has been utilized extensively for quaternary dating purposes on Earth.
The prototype breadboard instrument, which was developed with previous funding from NASA's Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program, is equipped with blue and infrared light sources for sample stimulation, a photo detector for sensing the luminescence signal, a heater to control the temperature and an X-ray source to calibrate samples. The prototype demonstrated the ability to carry out OSL measurements with high reproducibility.
With this new funding, DeWitt will add sample sorting and dispensing capability and increase the sensitivity of the instrument. She will also reduce weight, volume and power consumption. This additional funding will develop the ODIN to the point of full demonstration of feasibility and design for incorporation into future Mars missions.
"The award builds exactly on our strengths," DeWitt says. "While other instruments developed in our lab had the goal to extend the age range of OSL dating or to apply the method to new materials, this instrument will take OSL dating literally to new frontiers. We will build a prototype for an instrument that has the potential to leave Earth and go to Mars."
Source: Oklahoma State University
